Survey: New York women pay a 'pink tax' for transportation

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - As women continue to fight for what they consider equal opportunities and equal pay, a new survey is highlighting another potential inequality: Women in New York tend to spend more than men on transportation.

In an online survey, the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management asked 547 men and women 33 questions about travel habits, costs of commutes, if they've been harassed on public transit, and if safety concerns impact what type of transportation they use.

The survey cautions that it its respondents are not entirely representative of the entire city's residents.  They included primarily college-educated individuals -- 93.4% had at least a college degree and were geographically concentrated in specific areas of the city, including the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

The survey claims to have found that transportation has a so-called pink tax. At night, many women opt to ride in a cab or other car service instead of using public transportation because of safety concerns.  More than half (54%) of female respondents were concerned about being harassed while using public transportation, compared to only 20% of male respondents.

According to the survey results, 75% of female responses indicated some form of harassment or theft while using public transportation.  Interestingly, 47% of male responses indicated some form of harassment or theft while using public transportation.

Approximately 86% of harassment incidents were reported on the subway system and 76% were on trains, not on station platforms.

The survey claims that 77% of taxi users are female, 73% of for-hire vehicles users are female, but 67% of bike users are male.

The median extra cost per month for women due to safety reasons is $26 to $50, according to the survey.